A sigh of relief for all recording artists in South Africa!
After recent tensions between the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) and the KwaZulu-Natal government, it has recently been confirmed that the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) will now go ahead as planned.
This time the venue will change from Durban to the SunBet Arena Time Square, Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, on the 18th of November.
The move came after RiSA struck a deal with a music concert, Africa Fest, which features a star-studded Amapiano line-up.
In an official statement, RiSA wrote: “After a few days of uncertainty sparked by the sudden withdrawal of the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) of KwaZulu-Natal, a new home for the prestigious music awards has been secured and music fans can have a euphoric sigh of relief.”
RiSA further describes Africa Fest as the most spectacular concert that South Africa has ever seen as it promises some of the best Amapiano artists and talents.
Arnold Coleske of Africa Fest expressed his excitement, saying that they are delighted to be working with SAMA29 as part of the SAMA inaugural offering.
“When RiSA approached us for this collaboration, we saw it as an opportunity for the industry to work together. Our dealings with each other have been seamless, we found a lot of common ground and synergies. This is a big win for South African music.
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The red carpet kicks off at 16h00 and will be aired live on SABC 1, while the after-party, courtesy of Africa Fest, will commence at the end of the show.
The festival, which is described as a celebration of African talent and culture, is set to feature a line-up that includes Kabza De Small, Makhadzi, DBN Gogo, Samthing Soweto, Unlce Waffles and many more.
Also see: KZN cancels the SAMAs
